Press Release

New York, NY, November 26, 2012 … Since the start of the Israeli military action to stop rockets from being fired from Gaza, more than 100 anti-Israel rallies and demonstrations have taken place across the United States, with more than one-third of the total taking place on college campuses, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which monitors anti-Israel groups and activity in the United States.

The anti-Israel demonstrations on campus have included extreme rhetoric, including messages supporting “resistance,” comparisons of Israelis to Nazis, and accusations that the Jewish state is trying to perpetrate “another Holocaust” in Gaza.

According to ADL, during the campus demonstrations and on social media, some students and professors openly expressed support for the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, which controls Gaza, and for terrorism targeting Israeli civilians.

“The latest conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has reignited anti-Israel passions on campus,” said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. “So much of the anti-Israel activity in response to the conflict has been student-driven, and this reinforces the significance of anti-Israel activity on college and university campuses.”

In addition to the demonstrations, anti-Israel student groups are renewing calls for divestment from Israel in light of Israel’s operation in Gaza.

ADL noted the increased organization of Students for Justice in Palestine, which arranged many of the protests on campus as well as several off-campus events in response to the Gaza crisis. The national student group issued a statement last week condemning the “Israeli aggression on Gaza” and blamed Israel for a “violation of its truce with Hamas.”

ADL monitors anti-Israel activity on U.S. college campuses and has just issued a new report on the 2011-2012 academic year. The report identifies numerous trends on campus, including “pinkwashing” accusations against Israel; efforts to compare the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the U.S.-Mexico border fence and comparing the plight of Palestinians to that of U.S. immigrants; and ongoing support for campaigns urging boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel.

While a recent study by the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise found anti-Israel activity on only a small portion of college and university campuses, the events of the past few weeks demonstrate that anti-Israel activity in campuses cannot be overlooked. “Anti-Israel student groups will likely seek to capitalize on the momentum surrounding the Gaza conflict by pushing with renewed intensity their anti-Israel tactics and campaigns,” Mr. Foxman said.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.